The next day, I woke up surprised to find out I was on TOP's bed, not under the comforter, but with a separate blanket over me. There was another blanket crumpled on the other side of the bed. When did I fall asleep last night?

I looked at the clock by TOP's bed. It was eleven in the morning.

I looked at the blow up mattress the kids had been on. It was empty. I sighed and rubbed my face, but immediately regretted it when pain struck my cheek and by my eye. This wasn't going to be pretty.

I got out of bed and looked in TOP's mirror. My cheek was swollen and a little blue, and I had a little bit of a black eye. Great. I had to go to school like this tomorrow.

Next, I looked at my phone. I had twenty-three missed calls, all from my Mom. I threw my phone back on the bed and walked downstairs quietly.

Where was everyone?

I followed the sound of voices coming from a room. I turned the corner, and saw TOP, Mason, Minho, Alexa, Siwon, and Ayden all sitting at a breakfast nook, eating pancakes. They were all still in their pajamas. TOP had Ayden on his lap. 

A middle-aged Korean woman was cooking. She was taller and pretty, with her black hair tied in a bun. She was wearing a sweater and slacks, and had an apron on.

"Emmy!" Alexa was the first to see me. She hopped of of Siwon's lap and ran over to me. Everyone had turned to look.

I picked up Alexa, and she spoke. "Mama Choi made pancakes, Emmy! They are so good!"

I smiled at Alexa, and looked at Mrs. Choi. "Hi, I'm--"

"Emma." Mrs. Choi nodded kindly. "It's nice to finally meet you. You mind if I take a look at your face?"

"Umma used to be a nurse." Minho said with a mouthful of pancakes. 

Mrs. Choi teasingly hit her youngest son in the back of his head with her dish towel. "Minho-ah, manners."

Since there were no more seats, TOP stood, holding Ayden. "Go ahead. I'll grab a chair from the dining room."

I smiled weakly and sat down. Mrs Choi crouched down to my eye level and slowly took off my bandages. She turned my face slowly. "The cuts are deep, but I don't think you need stitches. A little cut cleaner and you will be fine. The swelling will go down in time. I'll be right back with something to fix you up." she smiled kindly and left the kitchen.

"On another bright side, my nose isn't broken." Mason shrugged. His black eye was almost swollen shut. How hard did my dad hit him?

"Good." I nodded. TOP came back in with Ayden, and sat next to me. "I'm sorry I fell asleep in your bed last night. I didn't mean to and-" I started.

TOP shook his head. "It's fine, Emma. You had a rough night. I understand."

I yawned. "When did the kids wake up?"

"About forty five minutes before you did." TOP nodded. "I came in to check on you all since I had woken up at nine-thirty, and they had just woken up. Neither of them knew what was going on, but I showed them where you were and where Mason was so then they were perfectly fine."

"I woke up ten minutes before you did." Mason nodded to me.

"Wait... You fell asleep in Seunghyun's bed?" Siwon asked. He had a black tank top on now instead of being shirtless.

"By accident." TOP replied. "We were talking and just kinda fell asleep. Calm down, it's not like anything happened."

"Why would something happen, anyway?" I asked. "Pretty sure after last night, I wasn't in the mood to do anything."

Let's not mention the fact I really didn't know how to do anything.

Mrs. Choi came back with new bandages and some kind of ointment. She dabbed a little bit of it on my cuts, and I bit my lip because it stung. Mrs. Choi gave me a sympathetic smile. "If it burns, it's working.

" "Do you have an missed calls on your phone?" Mason asked, taking a drink of his orange juice.

I nodded. "Twenty-three from Mom."

"I have ten from mom and twelve from dad. What do you think we're gonna get this time?" Mason chuckled.

I smirked slightly. "Well, since he called me a , I'm guessing two new outfits. Since he punched you because you couldn't stop me, I'm guessing you could get a new car or mo-ped."

"Wait, what??" TOP asked.

I sighed. "It's a joke between us. Every time my dad would hurt us, the next day he would try apologizing by getting us a present. When he broke my nose because of the phone, I got a new cell phone the next day. When Mason broke the vase because he was dribbling, he got a new basketball and basketball shoes. When he threw the plate, we all went out to our favorite restaurant."

"And he thinks that is a suitable apology?" Siwon scoffed. "The guy needs to be locked up. I'm sorry, I know he's your father. I just think--"

"He needs help." I nodded. "I don't know what we're going to do."

"Don't worry about that for now. Mason told me he packed your uniforms for tomorrow's school. You are welcome to stay." Mrs. Choi smiled as she took some dishes off the table.

"Thanks, Mrs. Choi." I nodded. I didn't know how long we could hide, though. They would find us, and who knows what would happen if we came home? Would dad be drunk then, too?

We never all ran away before. I did once, after this time he slapped me because I was complaining about how they wouldn't let me go out one night, so I ran to Ethan's house. But we never ran like this. We never took the kids.

"Don't answer your phone if your parents keep calling, okay? You need to relax today. Take it easy, all of you. I can take the kids to the park if you would like to rest." Mrs. Choi suggested.

Little did I know that relaxing would be short lived.

------

After taking a shower and dressing in the Hollister fleece shorts and t-shirt Mason packed for me, I had gone down into the living room to stay around my siblings and the Choi's. Their mom was so nice and accepting.

I sat down on the couch next to TOP. Mason and Minho were trying to decide on what movie to watch, Siwon was laying on his stomach on the floor playing a board game with Alexa, and Mrs. Choi was softly singing Korean nursery rhymes to Ayden as he sat in her lap. This was what a family was supposed to look like.

"Are you alright?" TOP asked me.

I nodded. "I'll be fine. My phone is upstairs. I don't want to even look at it. I just feel... Exhausted."

"Go to sleep, then. It seems like the kids are pretty content right now. Be a teenager. Teens love naps, so take one."

I laughed. "Alright, fine. Maybe I will. But your shoulder is going to be my pillow." I curled my feet underneath me and and put my head on TOP's shoulder. I was out in minutes.

---

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

I was startled awake to hear pounding on the door. Everyone froze and looked to the foyer immediately, even Ayden and Alexa.

"I'll go see who it is. Stay here." Mrs. Choi said. She stood, gave TOP Ayden, and walked into the foyer.

I looked at Mason, and his eyes were huge with fear. Could it be--

"Hey, my name is Jason. This is my wife Laura. We couldn't help but notice our daughter's SUV was in the driveway. Is she here by chance?"

A middle-aged Korean man came into the living room, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. His hair was jeans from a shower. Mr. Choi? "Who's at the door?" He asked.

"Their parents." TOP said quietly, looking towards the foyer.

"Yes, they are here right now, but I don't think it's in their best interest to see you both at this moment." Mrs. Choi said to my dad calmly.

"We'll decide what's in their best interest." I heard my dad reply sternly.

"Oh no." I muttered.

I stood, and TOP grabbed my hand to hold me back. "Emma, don't. Please. My dad can handle it if things get too bad. He's a police man."

"I don't want my dad to freak out at your mom. It's my fault we're here." I got out of his grasp and walked into the foyer. "Dad, stop. It's not her fault we're here." I said behind Mrs. Choi.

Mrs. Choi turned around. "Dear, I think it's best if you go back with your siblings, okay?" she put her hand lightly on my arm.

"Oh Emma... Your face... Dear, what happened?" Mom asked.

"What happened?!" I gasped. I pointed to my dad. "Your husband slapped me across the face and you were there to see it! Mason has a black eye because of it! Don't act like you don't know, Mom! You always deny he hit us!"

From looking at my dad, I knew he was sober at the moment, which was safer. "Emma, just get your things and come home so we can talk about it." he sighed.

I shook my head. "No. It's not safe there for the kids. I can stand your abuse, but they can't."

"Emma?" I heard Alexa ask behind me.

"Oh, Lexi! Come here, honey!" my mom tried to persuade Alexa.

"Alexa, go back into the room with Siwon." I told my little sister.

She didn't budge. "Daddy hit you, Emmy? That's how you have the bruises and band aids?"

I sighed. Just great.

Siwon, Minho, Mason, TOP, and Mr. Choi came into the foyer. Siwon picked Alexa up.

"Mr. Moore, I suggest it be a good decision to step off our property and let the children stay another night. They don't feel safe in the environment you have for them." Mr. Choi said.

"Not safe?! It is plenty safe! So what if I teach my kids to grow a backbone! It's for their own good!" My dad growled.

Oh no. Please no.

"Their own good is not you hitting them." Mrs. Choi gasped.

"I don't need parenting lessons. Emma, come on." my dad shook his head and grabbed my arm. I

tried to move away, but his grip was too tight.

He pulled me out on the porch. "Dad, please let go." I tried.

He ignored me.

"Hey, let go of her!" Siwon exclaimed. He set Alexa down next to Minho and ran out onto the porch.

TOP gave Ayden to Minho, and he and his dad immediately walked out onto the porch after Siwon

"Emmy!" Alexa exclaimed, terrified.

"Get the kids away!" I exclaimed to Minho as I struggled to free myself. Siwon tried to break us up, but it didn't work.

"Mr. Moore, if you don't let go of your daughter, I'm going to have to use force." Mr. Choi warned.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Dad shouted. He looked at me. "Stop being a and do what I say, damn it! You are a worthless , you know that?!?" He pushed me and let go.

Luckily, there were only two steps to the porch, but I fell and landed on the concrete, on my arm. I hit my head, too, but it didn't knock me out.

"Emma!!" Alexa screeched, terrified.

Why didn't they take the kids away?

"Emma! .....You!" Siwon shouted towards my father. I was guessing Siwon was about to swing at my dad, because I heard Siwon's dad say "Siwon, no! Step back!" as I struggled to sit up.

"NO! This man needs to be taught a lesson!" Siwon shouted.

"If you hit him, you could get counter-sued for battery. No step back!" Mr. Choi barked at his son.

My head was killing me. Ayden was crying, and Mason ran out onto the porch to come help me, but my dad swung before Mr. Choi had his hands behind his back. He got a good hook to Mason, and Mason fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Oh my god." My mom exclaimed, running to Mason.

TOP ran off the porch to me. He helped me sit up. "Emma, oh my god. What's hurt?"

"You cannot ever touch her again!! You are not a father to her!! You are not a dad to any of them!!" Siwon shouted.

I watched Mr. Choi wrestle with my dad with one arm and hold Siwon back with the other, finally pinning dad's arms behind his back. He let go of Siwon's shirt and grabbed the walkie talkie on his belt and spoke into it. Minho was defenseless a the door, holding a crying Ayden with one arm and holding back a shrieking Alexa with the other. He looked terrified.

"She's bleeding, Umma. I think she needs to go to the emergency room." TOP told his mom.

Mrs. Choi was crouched beside me, too. Something wet was running down the side of my face. I tried to move my arm to wipe it off, but a dizzying pain hit it. I held my hurt arm with my other arm.

Mrs. Choi inspected me. "Possible stitches for her forehand, and she most likely broke her arm. Slight concussion." she looked at Mr. Choi. "Jung, call for an ambulance, too."

"They're on their way." Mr. Choi said, handcuffing my dad as my dad shouted.

Mrs. Choi hurried to Mason to check on him. Alexa was shrieking, crying so hard, and Ayden was crying. 

"They don't need to see this." I squeaked. Tears fell out of my eyes.

TOP gently pulled me close to him, and I cried against his chest.

Pretty soon, a couple cop cars and an ambulance showed up. The cops took my dad away, and the paramedics hurried over to Mason and I. Mason was conscious now, and my mom was holding him against her, sobbing.Mason  had a really bad bloody nose, and he cut his forehand on the porch swing when he fell.

"I'm not letting you go back to that home, Emma." TOP kept saying, holding me close to him.

The paramedics came over to me and another pair hurried to Mason. TOP let go of me, and the paramedics checked me out. They put us both on brace boards, and took us to the ambulance.

My mom tried running after us, and that angered me. "Don't you dare come and follow us!" I yelled at my mom.

"Let me go, Umma!" Siwon shouted. "She's hurt!"

"No!" Mr. Choi yelled at Siwon as two police officers put my dad in a cop car. "You are too riled up right now!"

"Let me go. Please." TOP told his mom.

Mrs. Choi nodded, and TOP ran over to the ambulance when Mason and I were being wheeled in. TOP said something to the paramedic, and the medic nodded and let him in.

"Dude, my head." Mason groaned, reaching up to touch his head. He was strapped to a brace board, so he couldn't touch his head.. He might have had a concussion. I was strapped to one, too.

TOP touched my hand. "Emma... I'm so sorry."

"Where are the kids?" I asked.

"With Umma and Minho. They're safe."

"Mason?" I asked, even though I couldn't move my head. "Mason, are you okay?"

"I'm right here, Emma." Mason said. "You're probably worse than I am."

"No. I'm fine. I just want you to be safe."

"I broke my promise." TOP shook his head. "I promised I wouldn't let him hurt you when I was with you." 

"It's not your fault." I managed to grab his hand. "You protected Ayden. If the kids are safe, then you did perfect."